No man is an island entire of itself; every man is a piece of the continent, a part of the main; if a clod be washed away by the sea, Europe is the less as well as if a promontory were, as well as if a manor of thy friends or of thine own were; any man’s death diminishes me, because I am involved in mankind; and therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls, it tolls for thee. ~ John Donne

It soon became apparent that the treacherous Lunar Eclipse that just passed had so much to do with Fire. When we envision Mars in mythology, many of the planet's qualities seem to be combined with his brother Vulcanus, the Lord of Fire and volcanoes. Mars is the planet associated (much as Vulcanus was) with fires, and anvils, and heat. Closely aligned with the Lunar Eclipse in Aquarius, and at its closest point to the Earth, much of our planet was subjected to extraordinary heat and fire over the past few weeks: in Greece, the Arctic Circle, as well as the beleaguered state of California. Fires in Greece were likely caused mostly by arson, however the fires in the Arctic Circle and California have a direct correspondence to the radical changes in the climate, exasperated by human events.

Although wild fires are common this time of year in California, they have never been quite this extreme. The fires themselves seem to have affected the very weather patterns themselves. Raging apocalyptic fire tornadoes were being described as Hell on Earth. The aftermath described as having had a bomb explode in the area. Aquarius is a sign having to do with Global Concerns. There is a recognition in these late signs of the zodiac, that causes and conditions in one part of the Earth, impact the entire global ecosystem. Wildfires now burn more than twice the area they did 30 years ago, and the average wildfire season is more than two months longer. Lunar Eclipses represent the ramifications and results of causes set in motion in the past.

These are certainly things to reflect on as we continue to move through the rest of the Eclipse season, which lasts through the partial Solar Eclipse on August 11th. And reflect we will, as so many of the planets are currently retrograde: Pluto, Neptune, Chiron, Saturn, Mars, and Mercury are retrograde. And now Uranus will station for its retrograde phase on August 7th. It should not go unnoticed that Uranus is the modern co-ruling planet of Aquarius, the sign of the recent Lunar Eclipse. Uranus is currently traveling in the sign of Taurus, a sign very much connected to this planet, our Mother Earth. The last time Uranus was in this sign in the 1930’s we witnessed the impact of severe weather and human farming practices with the Dust Bowl, which further decimated the economy as well as the landscape. One really doesn’t want to be alarmist, but it does seem that Climate Change is not getting the seat at the table that it deserves. It seems we have a lot more to learn.

Uranus is an outer planet, so it is retrograde every year, for a fairly extended period of time (approximately 5 months). Yet in many ways some of the same principles remain. The months when Uranus is in its retrograde phase are times in which the experience of Uranus is internalized. Then during the months that it is direct, those experiences will be applied in our outer lives. Uranus has domain over electricity, lightning, energy, technology, explosions, natural disasters, unpredictability and surprises. These may appear to be more frequent during the stations, when the planet is slightly stronger.

Uranus dares us to go off the conventional path, to take risks, to embark on unknown territory. It is a little more restless and agitated due to its prevailing squares to retrograde Mars, but a trine from retrograde Saturn asks us to be wiling to take a stand for causes that are close to our hearts. During the retrograde period of Uranus which lasts until January 6th, we are made aware of things about ourselves that allow us to look at some part of our lives through a whole new lens. These are periods of illumination and growth, that can lead to deeper understanding. Through this process we are making internal changes that will hopefully bring us more in alignment with our ideals.

On Wednesday, August 8th, we reach the midpoint of the retrograde period of Mercury, when Mercury makes its conjunction to the Sun. This is actually the beginning of the next Mercury cycle, and is similar to a Mercury “New Moon”. This is a good time to ask yourself, what sorts of thoughts, mental habits, would you like to further commit to? Tranquility? Equanimity? A better mindfulness practice? What qualities would you like to develop? More patience? Generosity? Kindness? Confidence? Focus and Concentration? This is a good time to seed better habits, routines and healthier perspectives that you would like to see grow over the next several months.